--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Prefer the familiar word to the…" description: "\"Prefer the familiar word to the far-fetched. Prefer the concrete word to the abstract. Prefer the single word to the circumlocution. Prefer the short w..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/629/anonymous-1_abstract_prefer-the-familiar-word-to-the-far-fetc_2992196.jpg" --- # Prefer the familiar word to the far-fetched. Prefer the… ![“Prefer the familiar word to the far-fetched. Prefer the concrete word to the abstract. Prefer the single word to the circumlocution. Prefer the short word to the long. Prefer the Saxon word to the Romance.” quote by Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/629/anonymous-1_abstract_prefer-the-familiar-word-to-the-far-fetc_2992196.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/629/anonymous-1_abstract_prefer-the-familiar-word-to-the-far-fetc_2992196.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/629/anonymous-1_abstract_prefer-the-familiar-word-to-the-far-fetc_2992196.jpg) > “Prefer the familiar word to the far-fetched. Prefer the concrete word to the abstract. Prefer the single word to the circumlocution. Prefer the short word to the long. Prefer the Saxon word to the Romance.” [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Advocates using familiar, concrete, short, native words over complex, foreign, long ones for clarity and impact. **In simple terms:** Use simple, native words. Key Takeaway Choose clear, concise language. Themes communication clarity linguistics Mood educational practical Type writing language When to use this quote - writing - public speaking - marketing - education Key Concepts lexical choice cognitive load cultural identity Questions to Reflect On - When is complex language necessary? - How do word choices affect audience perception? A Different Perspective Over‑simplification may lose nuance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Abstract](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abstract/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Romance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/romance/) ## Related quotes > [ I \[prefer\] a short life with width to a narrow one with length. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/avicenna/i-prefer-a-short-life-with-width-to-a-narrow-one-with-length/) [Avicenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/avicenna/) > [I'm telling you. A single word can stop a person from pulling the trigger. You have the power to save someone's life. So save…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-m-telling-you-a-single-word-can-stop-a-person-from-pulling-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“If there is anything certain in life, it is this. Time doesn't always heal. Not really. I know they say it does, but that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-there-is-anything-certain-in-life-it-is-this-time-doesn-t-always/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Much more is accomplished by a single word of the Our Father said, now and then, from our heart, than by the whole prayer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/much-more-is-accomplished-by-a-single-word-of-the-our-father-said-now/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You can hurt everybody by a single word but you can make everyone happy just through your single action.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-can-hurt-everybody-by-a-single-word-but-you-can-make-everyone/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I hope that even if you remember not a single word of mine, you remember those of Seneca, another of those old Romans I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-hope-that-even-if-you-remember-not-a-single-word-of-mine-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We all have that one friend that who used to mean the world to us and now you can't trust a single word that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-all-have-that-one-friend-that-who-used-to-mean-the-world-to-us-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“You're the only one who can leave me completely breathless even when there's nothing but silence between us. It's 'like I can lay beside…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-re-the-only-one-who-can-leave-me-completely-breathless-even-when/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Gosh! If a single word that comes out of your mouth earns you 0.000001$, you would still get richer than bill gate in 2 hours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/gosh-if-a-single-word-that-comes-out-of-your-mouth-earns-you-0-000001/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“He enslaved her with the pain. No one would suffer this willingly, so if she suffered it, it must be because he owned her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/he-enslaved-her-with-the-pain-no-one-would-suffer-this-willingly-so/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Words. I'm surrounding by thousands of words. Maybe millions...Deep within me, words pile up in huge drifts. Mountains of phrases and sentences and connected…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/words-i-m-surrounding-by-thousands-of-words-maybe-millions-deep/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Sometimes, it's best to keep quiet. Silence can say so much without you ever having to say a single word.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sometimes-it-s-best-to-keep-quiet-silence-can-say-so-much-without-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [One word was sufficient to gain public favour. That word was Constitution, of all words the least precise, the most open to variety of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/one-word-was-sufficient-to-gain-public-favour-that-word-was/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Bizzy laughed at the very thought of bumblebees walking on their tiny feet from flower to flower! “We bumblebees have always been able to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/bizzy-laughed-at-the-very-thought-of-bumblebees-walking-on-their-tiny/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I remember every single word you said.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-remember-every-single-word-you-said/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Anonymous > [And a tear rolled down her cheek, as she said goodbye; because she's walking away, and she's never looking back](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/and-a-tear-rolled-down-her-cheek-as-she-said-goodbye-because-she-s/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You'll seldom experience regret for anything that you've done. It is what you haven't done that will torment you. The message, therefore, is clear.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-ll-seldom-experience-regret-for-anything-that-you-ve-done-it-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Scrabble - The game is available in Braille. That’s a nice fact. This makes me feel better about humanity for some reason. I can’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/scrabble-the-game-is-available-in-braille-that-s-a-nice-fact-this/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Everyone needs someone to love, and I choose you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/everyone-needs-someone-to-love-and-i-choose-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“THIS tale of my sore-troubled life I write,    To thank the God of nature, who conveyed    My soul to me, and with such care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/this-tale-of-my-sore-troubled-life-i-write-to-thank-the-god-of-nature/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Put on my J's and dance the whole night away Im naughty by nature like Im hip-hop hooray With my hands in the sky,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/put-on-my-j-s-and-dance-the-whole-night-away-im-naughty-by-nature/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Me.. I have been through a lot, but I still manage to have a smile on my face. Im not worried about the past…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/me-i-have-been-through-a-lot-but-i-still-manage-to-have-a-smile-on-my/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Distance is a test of love. many will fail for those who can't withstand it, but for those who can, theres only one answer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/distance-is-a-test-of-love-many-will-fail-for-those-who-can-t/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Im sorry I ever tried...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/im-sorry-i-ever-tried/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Being betrayed by the one you love is the worst feeling in the world...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-betrayed-by-the-one-you-love-is-the-worst-feeling-in-the-world/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Let children support their parents or be imprisoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-children-support-their-parents-or-be-imprisoned/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The only person I've ever purposely caused pain here is myself...By simply sharing, caring too much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-only-person-i-ve-ever-purposely-caused-pain-here-is-myself-by/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Start a business, not a startup”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/start-a-business-not-a-startup/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The truth is, of course, that the curtness of the Ten Commandments is an evidence, not of the gloom and narrowness of a religion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-truth-is-of-course-that-the-curtness-of-the-ten-commandments-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Explore all 162,899 Anonymous quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More Abstract quotes > [Love is like that, fragile and light. No wonder it rests upon our hearts in intangible moments, bids us follow fleeting thoughts and ideas…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-is-like-that-fragile-and-light-no-wonder-it-rests-upon-our/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Wisdom is the abstract of the past, but beauty is the promise of the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/wisdom-is-the-abstract-of-the-past-but-beauty-is-the-promise-of-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Where human eyes have never seen, where human beings have never been, I build a world of abstract dreams, and I wait for you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-ra/where-human-eyes-have-never-seen-where-human-beings-have-never-been-i/) [Sun Ra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-ra/) > [A little too abstract, a little too wise, It is time for us to kiss the earth again, It is time to let the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robinson-jeffers/a-little-too-abstract-a-little-too-wise-it-is-time-for-us-to-kiss-the/) [Robinson Jeffers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robinson-jeffers/) > [“Happy is very abstract, you can't touch it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julius-veal/happy-is-very-abstract-you-can-t-touch-it/) [Julius Veal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julius-veal/) > [Abstract Expressionism was invented by New York drunks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-mitchell/abstract-expressionism-was-invented-by-new-york-drunks/) [Joni Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-mitchell/) > [The more horrible this world (as today, for instance), the more abstract our art, whereas a happy world brings forth an art of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-klee/the-more-horrible-this-world-as-today-for-instance-the-more-abstract/) [Paul Klee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-klee/) > [Describing comic sensibility is near impossible. It's sort of an abstract silliness, that sometimes the joke isn't the star.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-carvey/describing-comic-sensibility-is-near-impossible-it-s-sort-of-an/) [Dana Carvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-carvey/) > [For people of color - especially African Americans - the idea that racist cops might frame members of their community is no abstract notion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wise/for-people-of-color-especially-african-americans-the-idea-that-racist/) [Tim Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wise/) > [The word of the Lord never comes to us as an opinion, no attempt is made to support it by argument, it comes as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-w-ivins/the-word-of-the-lord-never-comes-to-us-as-an-opinion-no-attempt-is/) Anthony W. Ivins > [A mobile is an abstract sculpture made chiefly out of sheet metal, steel rods, wire and wood. Some or all of these elements move,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-calder/a-mobile-is-an-abstract-sculpture-made-chiefly-out-of-sheet-metal/) [Alexander Calder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-calder/) > [I'm this superphilosophical kind of person. Stuck in a prison of abstract ideas and overpowering emotions, I have this personality that makes it really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natsuo-kirino/i-m-this-superphilosophical-kind-of-person-stuck-in-a-prison-of/) [Natsuo Kirino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natsuo-kirino/) > [Future lawyers should be more aware that law is not a system of abstract logic, but the web of arrangements, rooted in history but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felix-frankfurter/future-lawyers-should-be-more-aware-that-law-is-not-a-system-of/) [Felix Frankfurter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felix-frankfurter/) > [The trouble is that when you read criticisms about the other films that I've made you get the impression that they're all about themes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-haneke/the-trouble-is-that-when-you-read-criticisms-about-the-other-films/) [Michael Haneke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-haneke/) > [Painting is... a richer language than words... Painting operates through signs which are not abstract and incorporeal like words. The signs of painting are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-dubuffet/painting-is-a-richer-language-than-words-painting-operates-through/) [Jean Dubuffet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-dubuffet/) [Browse all 1,403 Abstract quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abstract/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Prefer the familiar word to the far-fetched. Prefer the concrete word to the abstract. Prefer the single word to the circumlocution. Prefer the short word to the long. 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